Phablet

Pablo Escobar's brother just unveiled the Fold 1, a $349 foldable phone with flagship specs, available to pre-order right now. But the too-good-to-be-true price and uncanny similarities with the Royole FlexPai cast doubts. Is this a real price-performance monster? Or is it a stunt?

The SM-G770 and SM-N770F have reportedly been certified by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). This leak appears to confirm that these 2 model numbers do in fact refer to the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite respectively. In addition, it is now certain that they both have Bluetooth 5.

T-Mobile has unveiled its branded version of the highest-end Galaxy Note 10+. This device has Qualcomm's 2nd-gen 5G modem, which makes it compatible with the US carrier's new sub-6GHz network. It is also Samsung's first phone to ship with One UI 2.0 out of the box.

The Samsung Galaxy A91 is thought to be one of this OEM's new phones in 2020. OnLeaks has released new renders for this device, showing that it may look somewhat like the Note 10 of this year. This design is also thought to apply to the upcoming Galaxy S11 flagship series.

The Chinese OEM ZTE has revealed that it has a version of Android 10 ready to go. This MiFavor 10 OS is slated to confer numerous UI and system improvements on the devices that will update to it. They include a dark mode, an AI engine upgrade and new dynamic wallpapers.

Samsung has reportedly trademarked the name "Hideaway Hinge" with the EU's intellectual property office, EUIPO. This name, as it may sound on the tin, is a component relevant to smartphones and tablets. Therefore, it seems the Galaxy Fold's successors may be less obtrusive in the crease-region.

Samsung Vietnam has released a new trailer for the upcoming Galaxy A series. It is pretty apparent that, with their central punch-hole displays, they will improve on their predecessors in one respect at least. They will launch in this market on December 12, 2019.

The smartphone OEM Realme started life as a spin-off from the company OPPO. Now, however, it has emerged that the 2 brands are effectively going their separate ways. The younger firm is now its own private company with its own CEO and R&D unit.

A Chinese user has reportedly claimed that a Redmi Note 7 Pro caught fire, resulting in the complete destruction of the phone. This would be the second time in two weeks that a mobile device from this OEM has apparently ended up in such a state. The company has denied the incident is related to the quality of the phone in question.

Google is pushing a new update in which its SMS app will gain the ability to tell between 'real' and 'fake' corporate messages. This will be done in line with the search giant's new "Verified" initative, by which businesses register with Google so as to prevent their communiques being automatically labelled as a form of spam and never reaching their customers.

LG's original 2019 flagship smartphone has started to see updates to Android 10. However, this is only reportedly applicable to units in the OEM's native South Korea at present. This upgrade also apparently comes with the November 2019 security patch.

The Samsung Galaxy S11+ has appeared in some renders and a video published by CashKaro in conjunction with @OnLeaks. The well-crafted images show the forthcoming flagship smartphone with a central punch-hole front-facing camera and a huge housing on the rear for the penta-lens camera setup, which apparently features a laser-focusing module.
Update: Another noted leaker has claimed that these S11+ renders based on CAD drawings are wrong.

Google introduced Ambient Mode for the Assistant at I/O 2019. It is a kind of alternative interface for Android devices that makes them take on the functions of a smart display. This can involve a revolving series of screens showing calendar information, photos or other content.

A new report from market analysts Canalys has revealed incredible results for Xiaomi in the European smartphone market: The Chinese manufacturer has witnessed annual growth of 73%. In India, Xiaomi is currently the number 1 smartphone brand for overall market share, on 27.1%. This is likely to increase with the impending release of the Mi Note 10 with its 108 MP camera.

The Google Pay app has been updated so as to display a message should a given phone be ineligible to conduct transactions using this method. This notification would apply to users who have rooted or otherwise modified their devices in a way that causes it to fail SafetyNet requirements. In addition, upcoming updates to this app will also be able to PIN-protect online shopping done through it.

Google's updated Android Security Rewards Program now offers up to six-figure rewards for reporting potential severe exploits that affect its Titan M security module. It applies to such discrepancies that can affect the Pixel 4, 3 and 3a smarphone series. Other similar bounties include up to US$250000 for Secure Element or Trusted Execution Environment hacks.

A new Samsung device with the model number SM-G770F has been approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This identifier has been linked to the "Galaxy S10 Lite" since the first rumor about this putative phone ever started. Its new certification confirms its apparently paradoxical 6.7-inch display.

Qualcomm has announced that its next Snapdragon Tech Summit will take place from December 3 to 5, 2019 in Maui, Hawaii. This year, the company will showcase its growing 5G expertise, as well as other facets of its mobile device business such as the appropriate SoCs. Each of the event's keynotes will also be livestreamed from a dedicated site.

A One UI 2.0 beta may have just spoiled Samsung's big next-gen display spec reveal. The leaker Ice Universe has reported that a user has found references to a 120 hertz (Hz) display setting in this version of the OS. This feature, called Best Display in the ROM, could be destined for the Galaxy S11 at the earliest.

Websites are capable of asking to send notifications in a number of browsers, Chrome included. In this case, they may be particularly capable of disrupting the app's experience as they are markedly large and obtrusive, especially on mobile devices. The latest update to Chrome Canary for Android adds options to restrict or block them.

A new patent allegedly submitted by Huawei to the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) has been posted online. It is for a phone with a flexible display - however, for one that folds vertically (like the new Motorola Razr) as opposed to the Mate X's hinge orientation. Should this document be valid, it is a triple-camera, edge-to-edge screened device.

BOE has made an announcement on Weibo claiming that it supplied Motorola with flexible displays for the new Razr. Furthermore, it now asserts that it has done the same for the Huawei Mate X - and for the foldable Lenovo ThinkPad X1. Therefore, those interested in this upcoming notebook could look to the Razr for advance indications of its screen quality.

The blog TigerMobiles claims to have dug up a couple of patents that may show the directions in which Xiaomi intends to take the foldable trend. One shows a clamshell design like that of the new Motorola Razr, whereas the other is more like the Huawei Mate X, but with an impressively extensive pop-up camera.

Motorola has finally certified its first-gen foldable with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The device's documentation reveals everything about the phone - well, from the outside, at least. Its new regulatory images dovetail with its most recent leaks.

As 5G networks go live in more and more markets with each month, some questions regarding the health hazards that might come with this new technology remain unanswered. However, most 5G dangers that some websites have been warning us about for years are nothing more than myths that can be easily debunked.

Akash Palkhiwala is Qualcomm's new CFO (or chief financial officer). His appointment comes following a stint as the company's interim CFO, as well as the senior vice president and finance head of its CDMA tech division. Palkhiwala will now be in a position to help lead the chipmaker into its 5G era.

The OEM Vivo held a press conference today (November 7, 2019) to introduce its X30, a phone that will ship with the dual-mode 5G chipset, Samsung's Exynos 980. Oddly, the phone itself was not displayed, nor was its spec-sheet. However, new leaks point to a 90 hertz (Hz) AMOLED display, a 4500mAh battery and a Pro variant.

Qualcomm has announced the results for its fiscal year, which ended on September 29, 2019. Its revenues came in at US$24.3 billion, or 7% more year-on-year (YoY). The company also made a total of $4.8 billion in the last quarter of this year (4Q2019), although this is a 50% reduction compared to 3Q2019.

Although tomorrow's conference is expected to focus on the introduction of Samsung's dual-mode 5G AI chipset, Vivo is also supposed to unveil the Exynos 980-driven X30 phablet. Its specs will allegedly include a 90 Hz 6.5-inch AMOLED display, a 64 MP quad main camera, as well as a 32 MP selfie shooter.

The past few weeks have seen the influx of rumors pertaining to the supposed Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite. A "Lite" phone sounds great, since we all want more capable, no-nonsense premium phones. The problem with all of this, however, is that the "S10 Lite" doesn't sound Lite at all.

TikTok is one of the most popular smartphone apps among today’s youth globally. Looking to cash in even more on its popularity, the Chinese company behind it Bytedance has partnered with Smartisan to release a TikTok focused smartphone.

Aukey has unveiled its new Omni-Power series of accessories. The company claims that it integrates various state-of-the-art charging technologies, including a graphene skin, GaN and USB Power Delivery. This line includes new adapters, car chargers and power banks.

WhatsApp has been working on fingerprint-based authentication for its Android app. Now, an update has added this ability to its stable version. However, a user will still be able to answer calls through the service even if the new locking mechanism is active.

The respected Twitter leaker Evan Blass has kicked off a new round of Motorola Razr spoilers. They consist of new images that show how the new flexible-display device will look when open and closed. Blass also now asserts that its product name will be spelled entirely without caps.

Evan Blass has posted an image of a new tablet with a punch-hole display and a constant, minimal bezel. As this device is shown with what appears to be an M-Pen, it may pertain to a high-end successor to the Huawei MediaPad M6. The leaker has compounded this idea by calling it a "MatePad Pro".

A Geekbench record for a “samsung SM-G770F” has been spotted that handily reveals a few details about the mystery smartphone. Some believe this particular device could end up being the Galaxy S10 Lite, which would likely feature a Snapdragon 855 SoC and at least 8 GB of RAM. The SM-G770F manages a powerful multi-core score in the test.

The latest software update for the Galaxy S10 series comes with slow-motion video capabilities for the front camera, improved fingerprint recognition, Auto Hotspot, and a few minor changes. In China, these handsets have already started to receive the Android 10-based One UI 2.0 update (in a Beta testing stage).

The Apollo Max is a new 10000mAh power bank that, according to its maker ELECJET, integrates the emerging graphene standard as a battery material. This, it is claimed, gives it an "unbeatable charging efficiency of 96%". This new product is currently available as a reward on its Indiegogo campaign page.

The foldable market stands at the very peak of the premium smartphone segment, and cameras are a rather important feature in that price bracket. It's no surprise, then, that Microsoft has announced its intent to provide the upcoming Surface Duo with brilliant camera performance.

A certificate from Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has confirmed the existence of the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 device. In a further surprise, the documents also revealed that there will be a Pro variant of the smartphone that the Chinese manufacturer has skillfully managed to keep under wraps so far. Speculation in regard to potential price has been optimistic.

Asus had included the Zenfone 4 in its plans to update older phones to Android Pie (9.0). However, this device has just been excluded from this schedule. The OEM claims that this will conserve the 4's system integrity and general function, however.

Xiaomi could be preparing to unleash a Mi Note 10 on a practically unsuspecting market soon. An image of alleged packaging material has been shared online, which of course could be fake. However, if it is genuine, then the crafty Chinese manufacturer has seemingly decided to skip the Mi Notes 4 to 9.

The new 12 GB low-power double data rate 4X UFS-based multichip package by Samsung combines four 24 Gb LPDDR4X chips and ultra-fast eUFS 3.0 NAND storage into a single package. This new mobile memory solution can hit a transfer rate of 4,266 Mbps, allowing mid-end handsets to shoot smooth 4K videos and run AI/machine learning applications.

ARM has revealed four new processors that should help enrich consumer tech products aimed at the mainstream market. The new additions to the company’s lineup are the Ethos-N57 and Ethos-N37 Neural Processing Units (NPU), the Mali-G57 Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), and the Mali-D37 Display Processor Unit (DPU).

Qualcomm has commissioned a Signals Research Group (SRG) study of 5G performance, efficiency and general UX in those countries and cities to which the new radio bands have been rolled out. It reportedly found that 5G can achieve up to 10X performance compared to 4G/LTE. In addition, it is also capable of 5 times the download speeds than the older standard.

The upcoming Power 3 is now official and ready to become the handset with the most generous battery capacity that UMIDIGI has created so far. In addition to the 6,150 mAh battery, its specs also include a 48 MP quad camera, a 6.53-inch full HD+ FullView display, and a MediaTek Helio P60 processor.

Huawei opened up pre-orders for the foldable Mate X today, but the phone will only be sold in China. Shipments and retail sales will begin on November 15th. Priced at roughly US $2400, the Mate X is an expensive piece of kit, especially considering it's unlikely to be sold in Western markets. Additionally, Huawei announced a more powerful foldable, the Mate Xs, which is set to be launched in March 2020.

"Joker" is a relatively new form of malware that reportedly acts to steal contacts and sign those with infected devices up for premium SMS services. Most recently, it has been detected in a heretofore-overlooked host on Android by the Pradeo security team. This lab has had the app removed from the Google Play Store, but potentially affected users are advised to uninstall it immediately.

LG's South Korean telecomms company has announced the debut of its new app, "U+ AR Shopping". It enables users to transform the content of 2 popular TV shopping channels into augmented reality (AR) experiences. Consumers can then leverage them to visualize and manipulate their potential purchases in 3D.